


The Way Silence Tastes

by Silas_Writes



Series: Tumblr Prompts [20]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Villain Lotor, Villains, superhero lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-06 08:06:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13406997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silas_Writes/pseuds/Silas_Writes
Summary: JONARU WHISPERED: Can I suggest another one? Lancelot xD Thank you:)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You’re now a favorite. I did love bug au last time with this ship. Hmmm…
> 
> I think I’ll do a bit of hero/villain. I’ve been kinda craving that kind of au lately. I don’t feel like there’s enough of it.
> 
> I didn’t complete this part because I kinda want to see you guys’ reaction to it. If a second part is requested, I’ll definitely start on it.
> 
> So, uh, bless you, jonaru.

_“You’re free to join me, Blue.”_

Swallowing thickly, Lance willed the sound of  _his_  voice from his head. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. This city may not love him, but this is his home. It’s where his siblings raised families and went to school. It’s where his parents worked so hard to get to, so their children could have a better life. He’d protect it and its citizens with all his heart. It’s why he joined the league of heroes. He had a chance to change the world for the better, so why did he feel like this…?

That smooth voice, the sound of it like silk rubbing over his bare skin, entered his mind again, _“They don’t love you, but I do. I’ve seen what you can do. What you’re capable of. Your potential. They’re just holding you back.”_

“N-no, they’re not,” he mumbled under his breath. His heart sped up as his breath quickened.  _What is this?_

_“I know what it feels like to be in your position. We’re two sides of the same coin, you and I. Underappreciated. Underestimated…”_

“I’m nothing like you,” he hissed between clenched teeth, his hands having found their way to tangle in and grip his short, chestnut hair.

_“They’ll grovel at our feet. They’ll all finally see just what you’re capable of.”_

“Blue?”

Lance jerked back in surprise, his head snapping up from where it had been bowed. He quickly dropped his hands from his head, standing from where he had been crouched, at seeing his mentor. Black stood before him with a puzzled expression. Lance took a mildly shaking breath in before mustering up a strained, sunny smile, “O-oh, hey. I’m more than ready for training today. Gonna be a lot better at it than yesterday. Bring it  _on.”_

He held out a fist for the guy to bump, but Black just studied him with those dark eyes. His voice was gruff when he spoke, “Sit.”

“What?”

“Sir,” the scarred man corrected, “and I told you to  _sit.”_

Lance slowly sunk down to sit upon the training deck floor. Black joined him a moment later, sitting across from him, “Talk.”

“I… I don’t know what you want me to talk abo-”

“Blue,” Black’s voice softened from its militaristic growl, “We’ve been working together for almost two months. I’d like to think I’ve gotten to know you since you joined us and accepted your new title. Something’s bothering you. You don’t have to discuss it with me, but I’d like you to talk to someone.”

Lance sucked in a soft breath, averting his gaze, “Y-yeah… I’ll-” - He swallowed. Why did his mouth feel so dry? - “I’ll do that.”

The man smiled, the scar over his nose crinkling at the corners with it. Lance thought Black looked years younger when he did so. Unknown to his mentor, Lance couldn’t tell a soul about any of this. He was incapable, and it was all thanks to  _that guy._  They stood after a few minutes of meditation to clear their minds, beginning their warm-ups for the evening. They had two hours to train before their patrol shifts began…

* * *

Lance grinned, the night breeze ruffling through his hair. Tonight, he was matched with his favorite person in the league to patrol with. He turned his head, sensing more than seeing the matching smile on Yellow’s face, for the other hero had a mask that covered the lower half of his face. Yellow motioned for them to split up, both of them planning to enter and do a quick sweep of a building that was tipped to have had some of The Prince’s more recognizable lackeys hanging around.

Yellow fistbumped him before stepping over the edge of the building and sliding down, the bricks in the wall moving under his fingertips to help him down. Lance watched him disappear into the shadows before turning to hop down onto the fire escape. However, his body stilled as the idea was wiped from his mind quite suddenly. His brows knitted together in confusion at the lapse. He startled as a voice purred behind him, “Mmm… Hello, Blue.”

Lance whipped around, masked eyes meeting a pair of yellowed scleras, also masked. His eyes widened as he choked up. He was not prepared for this.

“What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” The Prince took a step towards him, reaching out a hand to caress Blue’s cheek, “No witty one liner about me being gorgeous tonight?”

Lance - no Blue - smacked the hand away, expression turning ugly, “Don’t touch me!”

The Prince only smiled wider, turning up his charm as he continued towards the hero, “But darling~”

Blue dodged away, sidestepping him and worked on putting distance between them. He was not getting touched by this douchebag again. Last time he was touched… He shuddered at the memory, “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll-!”

“Or you’ll what?” Prince actually obeyed, pausing and lifting a meticulously defined brow.

Lance would kill for his beauty regimen. Wait- no! No! He’s on duty damn it!

“I’ll…! I’ll fight you…?” Okay. Sue him. This kind of banter wasn’t Blue’s strong point. He’d much rather shower damsels he’s saved with one liners and compliments any day, well, night.

Light laughter met his words, and the villain continued, walking back into his space, “Oh, I  _highly_ doubt you will. Tell me, Blue. Can you remember what happened last time you tried that?”

“Yes,” Lance whispered, trying to step back only to find his legs refused to move. Frustration stirred in his gut, and he spat angrily, “How are you  _doing_  this?! You’re not supposed to even have any powers! Every record says so! I’ve looked!”

Claw-tipped gloves cupped his face and brought it closer to the villain’s own. That silky voice brushed over his lips,  _“Aw,_  you’ve been thinking about me. I suppose I could tell you my little secret…in exchange for a kiss.”

Blue’s heart skipped a beat as heat traveled up the back of his neck to the tip of his ears. The same thing happened last time. Information for a kiss. He had been able to save twenty innocent people last time because of this man, but he, as he later found out, had been unable to speak anything of it to anyone outside of The Prince. At the time, he didn’t know that this guy wasn’t a hero. He dresses so similarly to them. That whole event was how he had gotten accepted into the league. How he was partnered with his new team. How he had a greater chance of changing the world than before.

This guy was his saving grace. Yet somehow, this guy could silence him, and that was the terrifying part of this exchange.

His breath quickened as he attempted to swallow down the fear now spiking in the pit of his stomach. This information was important. If he knew this, he could learn how to keep others safe from The Prince’s influence in the future. Unconsciously, he licked his lower lip. The Prince’s eyes tracked the tongue’s movement as he waited patiently. A small intake of breath and a nod was all the villain needed. 

He devoured the hero’s lips like a man starved, teeth clacking before he corrected their angle. The hero was drowning under those lips. Hardly able to breathe through it, his hands lifted to grip The Prince’s arms just to have something to anchor him to the present. His heart thudded in his ears as time passed. His knees went weak. It felt like cotton was being stuffed into his head, and he could almost swear he was falling. What was he supposed to be doing again?

_“B L U E!”_

That warm mouth ripped away from his. Lance gasped in a lungful of air, body trembling as his mind raced to put itself back together. He slumped to his knees when the cement under him shook. The world spun as he tried to reorient himself. Black spots dotted his vision. A flash of yellow and red caught his eye before everything faded completely from view.


	2. Chapter 2

Blue eyes slowly blinked open, squinting against the harsh light shining directly overhead. Lance groaned, turning his head away as he closed his eyes and tried to sit up. Only… He found he couldn’t sit up. His eyes snapped back open, dropping their gaze to see that he was strapped to a metal table. He immediately began to struggle until a familiar voice stopped him, “Woah! M’boy, calm down!”

“Mr….Smythe?” Lance looked up once the light was moved away.

The mustachioed man smiled warmly, “You gave all of us a good scare tonight, Number Three.”

“What happened? Why am I tied down?”

“About that… I’m sorry, lad,” his smile faded, “Boss said to. You were seen fraternizing with the enemy.”

“Fraternizing with the…?” Lance gasped,  _“What?! You’ve gotta be joking!”_

“I’m afraid I’m not. Number Two and Number Four both saw you.”

The door to the medical bay flew open, a smartly dressed woman walking in with her head held high. _Fucking hell._ They had called in the city official in charge of dealing with supers in their area. Lance knew he was fucked.

“Coran, I see Blue’s awake.”

_“Please!”_  Blue struggle against his binds begun anew, “I’m not-!”

“Stop.”

Lance froze. Allura’s voice was firm and commanding. She had never aimed that tone at him before. He sucked in a breath of air, trying to calm himself down. His stomach was tight, and his mind was spinning.  _Why did this have to happen?_

“We just want to ask you some questions,” Allura continued, “I expect total honesty. As you know, we  _will know_  if you’re lying. Hook him up, Coran.”

Coran dragged a high-tech monitor over to Lance’s side. Lance shut his eyes as he felt the wires being attached. Tiny needles pricked and buried beneath his skin. He _hated_  needles. However, he held back the tears gathering in his eyes and kept quiet. Keeping his distress hidden ended up in vain. Frost began forming around the areas where the wires had been attached. Coran patted his shoulder when he was done, trying to be reassuring, before flicking the monitor on. Lance glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, seeing his vitals flash up onto the screen. Brain waves. Heart beat. Oxygen levels. 

Allura crossed her arms, “We’re going to start questioning off easy.”

Lance’s brows furrowed in confusion, but he nodded.

“Okay. What’s your name?”

The hero’s breath hitched in apprehension.

“Don’t worry. Coran and I are the only ones in here to hear you, and we already know your identity and would never use it against you. Background checks, remember?”

_Right._  He took a deep, relaxing breath before answering, “Lance McClain.”

The monitor flashed a brief, green light. Allura nodded, “Original hero name before you joined?”

“Didn’t have one.”

The green light blinked into existence once more.

“And your current hero name?”

“Blue,” Lance was finally able to meet her eyes, “Assigned to me by you, Commander.”

She smiled, “That’s right. Now…” - Her smile dropped as her expression turned serious. - “What happened out there tonight?”

“I was on patrol with Yellow. We were going to check out that warehouse near the old harbor. You know. The one that we got tipped off about. Yellow left to go in, and I went to follow. However, I was stopped by-”

_**“S i l e n c e.”** _

He choked, coughing violently as his words caught in his throat. He wheezed, clenching his eyes shut tight. The monitor went off, loud beeping filling the space of the room. Another pinch hit his arm, and after a few seconds, his airway cleared. Lance sucked in a breath greedily, panting as his body relaxed. Coran’s worried eyes were the first he opened his own to. A syringe was in his hand.  _How many needles was he going to have to deal with here?!_

“What just happened?” Allura asked.

“Nothing good,” Coran mumbled as he turned to the monitor, flicking through complicated screens of code and text, “Seems there’s something that keeps our dear Number Three’s tongue held. Probably put in place by some lackey working under The Prince.”

Lance opened his mouth to correct him, but his voice died instantly. Tears of frustration gathered in his eyes. He  _hated_  this.

“Until we find a way around it, Blue’s not going to be able to answer anything of importance to the person who did this to him.”

“I see,” Allura frowned, turning her attention back to the tied down hero, “Maybe… we just need to figure out a way around it? Like when Black returned after-”

Lance’s eyes widened, “Wait… Black? H-he had the same thing happen?”

Allura nodded, “He was captured and held prisoner for a year. We still don’t know where or by who, but we have our guesses. You might be in the same predicament he was when he returned.”

“Not able to say a thing about it! He couldn’t even show us on a map where he was taken. It was quite the aggravating situation,” Coran turned to Allura, gesturing to the display showing Lance’s brain, “It seems to be the same pattern as Number One’s as well.”

Allura shrugged, “Alright. We’ll figure out what we’re allowed to talk about. Blue, how long have you been silenced?”

Lance swallowed, uncertain if that was something he could answer, before speaking, “Since before I joined.”

Green flickered. He blinked in surprise.

“Have you ever been some kind of villain? A vigilante maybe?”

“Wha-?! No!” Lance pouted, offended she would question that, “I was, and still am, in college! I’m surprised to find the time to be here and do badass hero work most of the time!”

Green.

“Do you have a romantic or sexual relationship with The Prince?”

_“Fuck no! What the hell, Allura?!”_

Green.

“Why did Red and Yellow come across the two of you kissing then…?”

“I-” his airway constricted once more.

The monitor flashed yellow.

“Can’t answer that?” she frowned, “Never mind then. Have you ever heard of or been to a company called Daibazaal?”

“Ugh… Heard of it? Yes. How could anyone not have? Their ads are  _everywhere._ Been there? No.”

Green again. A sigh of relief breezed out of Allura, “Oh, thank goodness.”

All of that  _hurt._  He didn’t want to say it, but it hurt. He’s been trying to prove himself as a hero, someone they could trust, since he joined. _Since he discovered his powers._  To have someone he considered a friend having doubted him… He flinched as his wires started being carefully removed. Soon, Coran unstrapped him from the table as well, letting him get up and to his feet. Allura strode forward and hugged him, “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry we had to do that, but it was important.”

She pulled away when he didn’t even bother to hug back, looking a tad awkward, “I’m going to go talk to the rest of your team and update them on what’s going on. You should head home and get some rest.”

Lance’s brows pinched together, “How long was I out?”

“It’ll be sunrise soon,” Coran showed him his watch. It read that it was nearly five thirty in the morning.

“Aw, man,” Lance sighed and made his way to the door without another word. He couldn’t even look at them. His heart having long sunken down at their doubt and suspicion. He’d do anything for them all. Even throw his life on the line as he had been doing since he started nightly patrols. He felt their eyes on his back as he walked out.

The sound of the door clicking shut echoed loud in all of their ears.


	3. Chapter 3

The cool, autumn air felt soothing as it breezed over his skin, goosebumps rising up in its wake. If the breeze felt nice, the warmth radiating from the coffee in his hand felt like heaven. It filled his senses and filled him with the calm he desperately needed. Lance sipped his drink as he made his way towards his afternoon class. Despite the stress he endured the night before, his day was turning out to be fairly mundane. He couldn’t find it in him to want it any other way at the moment. The relative peace was good for his nerves. He was just about to open the door leading into his building when it flew open more forcibly than he had used to pull on it and smacked into him, knocking the cup from his hand.

His jaw dropped, a yelp following, as he stumbled back, the coffee spilt down his front and over the concrete steps. His eyes snapped up as the person responsible stared at him from the doorway. His brows furrowed into an affronted glare, “Seriously?!”

The other guy’s brows -  _He had some damn good eyebrows._  - lifted, “My apol-”

“I did  _not_  need this today. What the  _heck,_  man?” Lance whined and pulled at his soaked sweater, holding the fabric away from his skin and hissing between his teeth at the heat.

The person in front of him cleared his throat before trying again, “My apologies. I wasn’t looking.”

Lance sighed heavily before muttering, “It’s fine.”

He let go of his sweater, the spill now cool enough to stand against his skin, and bent down to pick up the cup. He felt the other’s eyes on him as he did so. Mentally, he was thanking his past self for choosing a black sweater over the blue he had originally pulled out. Walking around with a stain would’ve been the worst. Straightening back up, he made to pass by the guy to continue on to his class. However, a hand stopped him. His eyes snapped to stare into cornflower eyes. The guy offered him a handsome smile, “Allow me to make it up you?”

Lance blinked, not knowing what to say for a moment before stumbling over his words, “I- You- You don’t have to do that. It’s fine really.”

“I insist.” Something in the guy’s voice made it clear he wasn’t going to drop it.

“Uh, okay,” Lance stepped away from the hand on his shoulder, “How about…just buying me another coffee sometime? Maybe tomorrow?”

The hand lingered in the air before dropping, “Tomorrow’s perfect. I’m sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Lotor.”

“Lotor…?” Lance’s eyes widened as he recognized the name, “Oh! You’re-!”

“Ah, so you’ve heard of me,” Lotor grinned, a sly glint to his eye.

“Kinda hard not to of. I mean… Your family’s got a uh… big name around here,” Lance rubbed the back of his neck nervously, averting his gaze.

“Unfortunately,” the grin nearly receded, “What of yours? If I am allowed the pleasure, of course.”

Heat touched his cheeks as he sheepishly answered, “M’name’s Lance.”

“Lance.”

The way it rolled off Lotor’s tongue sent a chill down his spine. Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Yeah… so tomorrow?”

“How do you like your coffee?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sweet with cinnamon. I prefer using whipped cream over sugar, though,” Lance couldn’t seem to meet this guy’s eye again.  _What is going on with him?_

“Good taste,” Lotor chuckled, the sound coming from the back of his throat.  _Oh, hell. He had an attractive laugh._  He continued, “I’ll see you tomorrow with it. Until then, Lance.”

Lance’s eyes finally lifted to watch him walk away. His eyes raked up the other’s frame as he did. He forced himself to turn away and head to class. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he willed it to calm down.  _It should be illegal to be that attractive._  His mind halted once he sat in his seat.

 _Wait._ They didn’t discuss where to meet up or what time.

Lance groaned and thudded his head on the desk.

* * *

The ice burned against his bare palm. Blue’s breath hissed between his teeth as he concentrated.

_He could do this._

“You’ve got this, Blue,” Black’s voice echoed his thought.

Blue redoubled his effort, willing the ice growing in his hand to change shape. He bit into his lower lip as sweat gathered on his brow. Water in the air continued to gather to the block of ice he’d already created, freezing on contact to join the others before. Finally, something seemed to give inside his mind. The ice’s growth quickened, creating a curved arch before connecting the two ends with a thin, flexible line. An incredulous laugh slipped out before he cheered, “I- I did it!”

“I knew you could,” Black grinned, pride obvious in his tone.

“This is gonna be so awesome! A bow! Made of ice?! That I can wield whenever I want?” Lance scrambled to stand, bouncing on his heels, “So awesome!”

“You’ll have to learn to shoot first,” Black’s reasonable statement sapped the excitement from Lance’s veins.

He pouted, “Right…”

“You’ll have plenty of time to do so tonight.”

Lance brightened once more, “Yeah! Who am I paired up with? You? Green? Yellow again?”

Black crossed his arms once he stood, eyes looking off to the side, “I’m filling in for you.”

The smile wiped from his face, “What?”

“The commander thought it would be wise… if you were out of the field for a little while.”

Lance’s shoulders slumped down, the bow in his hand melting into a puddle on the floor in seconds. He stared wide-eyed at Black, slack jawed. Swallowing thickly, his voice shook as he spoke, “O-out of the… the field…?”

Black’s metal hand reached out and patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, “Just for a week at most. You’ll be back on patrol before you know it. This will be an excellent time for you to work on mastering your powers. The practice will only help you for when you return.”

“Right…” Lance’s voice sounded flat to his own ears. He shrugged off the hand on his shoulder and shuffled over to the matted area of the training room. He sank down to sit, crossing his legs as he closed his eyes. He stayed in a meditation pose until he heard Black leave the room. A long, suffering sigh passed his lips.

_“Poor Blue…”_

_Not again._

_“My offer is still on the table.”_

“No thanks,” he grumbled under his breath, his eyes sliding open. He lifted his hand and began practicing as Black had suggested he do.

* * *

Chairs creaked and scraped against the floors as students settled into their seats and waited for the professor to show. A thump near Lance had him lifting his head off the desk where it had been. He blinked tiredly at the large coffee that was placed in front of him.  His eyes lifted their gaze, following the arm that stretched to his right and had set down the warm cup up to broad shoulders and an aristocratic face. Cornflower blue eyes stared back down at him before a delicate brow was raised in question. The exhaustion lifted at the sight of the other. Lance grinned, “Aw! You got me coffee?”  
  
“Wasn’t that the agreement?”  
  
“I didn’t think you’d actually buy me one,” he didn’t think he could keep the grin off his face if he tried, “How’d you know where to find me anyway?”

Lotor frowned, “I’ve been in this class with you since the beginning of the quarter.”

Lance’s jaw dropped, “Oh, shit. I-I never noticed. I’m sorry.”

The other stared at him. The stare was heavy and scrutinizing. However, it lasted no more than a moment before Lotor slipped into the seat beside him. Only then did Lance notice that Lotor had a cup of his own. He wondered what kind of coffee he drank. Lotor sipped his drink before saying, “It’s not uncommon. I’m more observant than most, I suppose.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Lance lifted his own cup up and took a tentative sip. Warmth flooded through his body immediately.  _It was perfect._ A lazy smile slipped onto his face, “Oh, damn. This is good. Thank you, Lotor.”

Lotor glanced over to him before shrugging a shoulder stiffly, “It’s the least I could do.”

“If this is the least, I’d love to see the most.”

“What?”

“What?” Lance took a bigger sip of his coffee than before, attempting not to wince at the heat.

Lotor’s mouth twisted before a laugh slipped out of him. His eyes shut as his shoulders hunched in as it shook itself free. Lance decided he definitely liked the sound of that laugh. Deep. Melodic. Much too pretty to hide. Lotor recovered too quickly for his liking.

“Do you always say things like that to everyone you meet?”

That question sounded much too familiar, but Lance mentally shrugged off the déjà vu to answer, “Only to people as gorgeous as you.”

That seemed to startle the other. Lotor’s eyes snapped to him, lips parted in surprise.

“I-I’m sorry. Was that too much? I’ll just- Uh,” Lance laughed nervously, looking away.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Lotor coughed into his fist before turning towards Lance, “It’s fine. I’m just not used to such… forward advances. My name tends to intimidate others before they get that far.”

Lance frowned at that, “That’s pretty unfair. You shouldn’t be judged just because of your family.”

A smaller smile touched Lotor’s lips, “Naive…”

Lance opened his mouth to argue, but Lotor cut him off, “…but sweet. I appreciate that.”

Any offense Lance would’ve had died instantly. A bright, sunny smile graced his face, “Hey… Anytime, handsome.”

The only sign that Lotor acknowledged the continued flirting was the barest hint of a flush to his face. He purposely kept his gaze towards the front after that. The professor walking into the room stopped any further attempts to flatter the peer beside him. Lance had a feeling that this class just became one of his favorites.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to my lovely beta @spicygenou (both here and on tumblr) for all the help. She deserves all the kudos.

_Cold rain sprinkled from the heavens, bringing with it relief from the heat trapped in the concrete and asphalt of the city. The Prince rather liked the rain, but that wasn’t what had his attention at the moment. No. What had his attention- or rather…_ Who  _had his attention was a person crouched down in the alley next to the building The Prince was currently perched on top of. He couldn’t help but release an amused laugh. They appeared to be new judging by the obviously homemade suit and their clear hesitance to be seen. It seemed only fitting that he drop in for a chat. **  
**_

_His feet hit the ground silently. The Prince crept slowly toward the potential hero, the yellow of his eyes glowing dimly as he studied the person now right in front of him. “Well, what do we have here?”_

_The person startled and whipped around, eyes widening as his mouth dropped open to stammer._

_An amused smile curled The Prince’s lips, “Cat got your tongue?”_

_Shaking his head, the stranger seemed to regain his composure rather quickly, “If you’re the cat, then, I sure hope so.”_

_Lotor’s brows shot up, taken aback, “Surely, you don’t say things like that to just anyone?”_

_“Only to people as gorgeous as you, handsome,” he winked, shooting up finger guns with a cocky grin._

_The face blurred. Lance was now the one winking at him. What was Lance doing here? Lance isn’t…_

_Is he?_

“Lotor!”

Lotor blinked, his mind crashing back into the present. He lifted his head. Honerva frowned down at him. “Can’t even properly greet your mother when she returns home?”

He bowed his head as he stood from where he had been lounging in the lavish living room. “My apologies. Welcome home, Mother. I wasn’t expecting you home for another hour or so. I trust everything is going well with the company as of late?”

She sniffed, frown still present, “Of course, it is. My research, however, is a different matter entirely. I’ve found there are…things I’m missing. I’m loathe to, but it seems that I’ll have to go out tonight.”

“If I may, Mother, I could always pick up whatever it is you need.”

Honerva narrowed her amber brown eyes at him. Lotor felt the telltale sign of her rooting through his head, namely a headache beginning to form at the base of his skull. After a moment, she left his mind, “Fine. You may go in my stead. I’ll hand over the details before you leave tonight. Don’t disappoint me.”

“You can rely on me.” Lotor kept his head bowed until the click of her heels against the hardwood floors faded, signaling her departure from the room.

* * *

The building was far more difficult to sneak into than The Prince had anticipated, yet he managed. Well, until he triggered an alarm from cutting a wire for the security cameras, that is. He cursed under his breath, closing the panel of the vent he had just hoisted himself up into. Opening the pouch attached to the belt at his hip, he slipped out his communicator. He sent a message to one of his sidekicks, requesting the map of the building’s ventilation system. It took no more than a minute for him to receive just what he needed.

According to the blueprints, the building was arranged in a circular fashion; everything warped to fit the rounded design. The vents were mapped out like a maze, but it was a maze he was determined to get through. His mother needed the documents she had hidden here. He carefully crept along the vents, heading for the small, locked lab near the center of the building. However, after several minutes of crawling around, he noticed that the map didn’t quite match with the terrain he was experiencing. He peered through the nearest grate to get a better sense of where he was, only to pause.

_Oh._

A smile curled his lips as his eyes took in the form of a very familiar hero. A battle cry erupted from said hero as he charged towards what appeared to be some kind of training robot. The Prince watched in amusement as the bot easily evaded Blue and used his momentum to slam him down onto the floor. Blue groaned before commanding it to stop with an aggravated huff. The robot powered down with a loud buzz. Blue peeled himself off the floor and fiddled with something on his arm guard that The Prince couldn’t quite see from his vantage point.

“Green,” Blue whined out with a sigh, “Please, tell me the doors are going to open soon?”

A voice hissed at him from what must’ve been Blue’s communicator,  _“You_  try figuring out who tripped our lockdown sequence while trying  _to keep a low profile on the other side of town._  On top of that, I doubt you’d appreciate having to deal with an annoying  _menace_  calling every other minute!”

“Can you at least get the training room doors open?”

A long, suffering sigh crackled over the communicator, “To unlock those doors, I’d have to cancel the entire lockdown protocol. I’m not risking that when there could be an active break-in.”

“I’m the only Super here, Green! I could help investigate!”

“Not happening, Blue. Just stay put.” A small beep sounded before Blue’s face fell into a scowl.

_“She hung up on me._  What the heck?” A scream followed as the building’s electricity suddenly went out.

The Prince bit back a laugh before working on unhooking the grate so that he could slip out. Blue twisted around when the metal grate fell to the floor with a clang.

“Oops,” The Prince smirked before hopping down gracefully.

Blue scrambled to his feet, “So,  _you_  were the one who tripped the alarm…”

“Guilty as charged, Officer Blue.”

“Whatever you’re here for, I’ll stop you,” Blue’s voice was firm with determination.

“That’s unfortunate,” Lotor placed a hand on his hip, completely at ease.

Blue scowled and raised his hand, ice already beginning to shape in his palm. Lotor’s eyes narrowed at it. That was new. He raised his gaze to Blue’s eyes, mentally reaching towards the hero. Blue’s ice melted in his palm after a moment. The hero blinked as confusion knitted his brow.

“How…How are you doing that?”

“Be calm, Blue.”

A forced, shuddering breath eased from Blue’s lungs, his body visibly relaxing, “I-I don’t…”

“You’re going to help me.”

“I-I won’t-”

“As of right now, your decisions are not your own, Blue. I’m going to open the sealed doors, and you’re going to escort me safely to a particular lab,” The Prince turned on his heel, pulling out his communicator once more to check the blueprints before stepping up to a set of doors. He tucked the communicator back into its pouch and slipped out a round tablet that resembled sticky tack, pressing it to the closed doors. He stepped back as electricity sparked along the doors’ surface before they opened up with a hiss. “Come along now.”

The Prince stepped from the room, making his way down the hall. It wasn’t long till Blue was at his side with clenched fists and teeth.

“Just so we’re clear,” Blue gritted out, “I  _hate_  you.”

“I’m sure,” the villain chuckled in response.


End file.
